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Religious leaders should speak up against crime on children: Satyarthi

'Poor children need not work to earn money for their education'
Last Updated 06 February 2015, 19:44 IST

Religious leaders of all faiths should speak up against violence on children, especially girls, said Nobel Peace Prize winner Kailash Satyarthi of Bachpan Bachao Andolan.

Speaking at the Yuva Summit organised on the eve of Deshpande Foundation’s ‘Development Dialogue’ programme here on Friday, he said religious leaders had a deeper outreach in society and they should speak strongly against violence on children.

“As most of today’s youth use mobile phones or smartphones, they can expose instances of child labour and other social evils, spreading messages through the social media. I do not accept even a cup of water in hotels or houses of relatives and friends where child labour is practised,” he said.

Satyarthi said poor children need not work to earn money for their education. “Education for children is free in India, and there are several scholarship schemes, too. But many parents are not aware of the government schemes and children’s rights. Better awareness should be created in this regard,” he said.

It is said that child labour is being practised in the cotton fields of North Karnataka, Marathwada and Telangana regions. Efforts should be made to stop this, said Satyarthi.

Infosys founder N R Narayana Murthy said progress needed people who challenge what was conceived as unchangeable. Making the lives of others better and bringing a smile on their faces is the real success, he said.

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(Published 06 February 2015, 19:44 IST)

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